


The End of the World

by 8makes1cheese



Category: ATEEZ (Band), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I think mingi's role is obvious, Inspired by How to Train Your Dragon, Just because Seonghwa is Toothless, Light Angst, M/M, The Hidden World kind of, Why Did I Write This?, but there's some romance too, dongmyeong and dongju are ruffnut and tuffnut, hongjoong white hair & seongjoong hint hint, jongho is hiccup, not very romantic it's mostly friendships, san is a new character sorry, wooyoung is that eret son of eret dude, yeosang is astrid, yunho is fishlegs sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:42:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22814827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8makes1cheese/pseuds/8makes1cheese
Summary: Jongho can't imagine life without his loved ones. It hurt losing his father, but surrounded by friends, family and dragons, he feels hopeful that his life can at last be peaceful.But a vicious crew of hunters is headed towards his home, the home Jongho rules as chief. Their leader is an enemy like no one Jongho and his crew have ever faced before, and he's not out to hurt them or damage their home. He only wants one thing: to destroy Jongho's beloved dragon.There is only one solution.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	1. before

[PAST] 

Jongho is thirteen the first time he sees the Night Fury.

It's the dead of night, but no one on the island of Utopia is asleep. The sound and sight of the flames licking at their homes and properties is enough to keep them awake. Some scream, some just remain silent. Everyone has experienced this before. 

Another dragon attack. Jongho sighs. 

He runs down the stairs to his father, Eden, the chief of Utopia. The man is armed and suited up in his armor, looking tired and annoying. Dragon attacks are nothing new to him at all. He's fought them off for longer than Jongho can remember. 

"You're not coming, Jongho." 

He closes his mouth, disappointed. "But what if it's my time? What if tonight is the night I finally prove myself? I can kill a dragon, father. I know I can." 

"Maybe you can. It is not the right time to find out. Stay inside, and stay safe." With that, Eden is gone, the door slamming harshly in Jongho's face. 

He brushes the tears off. 

The window is unlocked. Jongho tilts his head, then nods silently and retreats to a dark corner, returning a second later with the contraption he's built. An ugly thing, really, but only he knows its inner workings. He attempts a smirk. 

"You, beauty," he murmers, "you're going to kill a dragon tonight." 

He only hopes he doesn't encounter a dragon in human form. He could never kill it then. Thankfully, few dragons have human forms, and those that do rarely take them. 

"I want to kill a Nightmare," Jongho muses. "Or a Zippleback would be so cool. Oh my gosh, or a.... I don't even know, I'll kill them all!" 

His enthusiasm is highly faked. 

"Or a Night Fury," he whispers. "Imagine. But no.... they went extinct." He shakes his head and sighs. Night Furies are mere legends now, but they were supposedly the most dangerous, ferocious and powerful dragon species to ever soar through the night skies. 

Until they went extinct. Which was before the unlucky Jongho was ever born. 

Jongho slips out the window with his machine, darting up the hill behind the house to set it up. He looks around cautiously and aims for the night sky. 

He hears a yell from a distance, a roar, and a Nightmare tumbles out of the sky. Jongho looks away as it hits the ground. 

That's when he sees it. 

A dark shape gliding silently through the black, starless carpet of the sky. 

Jongho squints, looking closer, breath fast and excited. He searches everywhere, but he's lost sight of the creature. He turns back to his killing machine in disappointment. 

A flaming purple ball shoots past him and a tree mere feet away crashes to the ground. 

Jongho whips around, shocked. There's only one dragon species known to shoot purple flames. 

He sees nothing. 

But he hears it. Barely, just ever so faintly, his ears can pick out the sounds. He aims stealthily, readies his weapon, and fires. 

The dragon lets out a bloodcurdling shriek. Jongho stands frozen, eyes tracing its fall. 

"I killed it," he whispers. "By the gods, I killed it." 

A hand comes down on his shoulder. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Maddox says flatly.

...

It's not until late the next day that Jongho manages to sneak away. 

He remembers it, the exact spot where the Night Fury fell, trapped in his ropes, shot with his arrow. He ought to feel pride, but he's overwhelmed with guilt. Shaking his head, he pushes on through the woods toward the beach. 

Jongho tugs aside a vine and steps out onto the sand, slowly and carefully. He spots it in an instant, a sleek black tail and wings, hopelessly tangled in the mess of ropes. 

"I killed it," he repeats. 

The dragon chooses this time to twitch its wing. 

Jongho barely restrains his scream. It's alive. He didn't kill it. Whether he's relieved or horrified, he honestly can't tell, but he is certainly afraid. 

"You're real," he says at last. 

The dragon twitches again, like it's saying "Yes." 

"You're.... alive. Breathing. Moving. I.... I tried to kill you, but you didn't die..." 

Jongho moves slowly closer. "Can you, uh, stand? Maybe? Wait, do you have a second form or- no, forget that." He inches nearer. 

The dragon stands. 

And now Jongho sees that it- he- is injured. 

The dragon's tail is missing a vital piece, clearly torn off by Jongho's machine. He feels no pride. The poor creature is obviously suffering. Jongho swallows and scoots a little bit closer. 

"Do you-" 

The dragon hisses. For a second, Jongho sees red. 

"Red," he muses. "Anger. You're.... Hwaseong. Mars. Yes, that's what I'll name you. From the other country, what was it? I'm not sure. Mars, god of war." Why is he naming it? The beast isn't some pet cat, it's a dangerous threat and could potentially, very easily, end his life. 

But it hasn't. Because he trapped it.

"You know what?" Jongho speaks without thinking. "I'm going to get you out, Mars. I'm going to free you." 

For the first time, Mars looks more hopeful than aggressive. 

"Do you have a second form?" Jongho repeats. 

There's a dull purple flash. Jongho averts his eyes momentarily, and when he looks back, the dragon is gone. 

Standing in his place is a boy, maybe a few years older than Jongho himself. His hair is black and silky, leather suit the color of the night sky, eyes dark and gleaming. He's beautiful. He's the most beautiful person Jongho has ever seen. 

And his left leg is bleeding a river of blood, red as the planet he was named for. 

This time, Jongho doesn't inch forward. He practically lunges. 

Mars doesn't even move.


	2. when

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

[PRESENT] 

Jongho creeps along the deck of the ship, careful to stay in the shadows. He feels Seonghwa's slender fingers wrapped around his, a gentle but grounding grip, warm and familiar. He keeps his eyes ahead, one hand leading Seonghwa, one resting on his sword. 

He can't see into the cages, but he can hear. Jongho knows dragons, and he can tell these ones are unhappy just by the sounds. He grits his teeth. 

Seonghwa whimpers. His grip on Jongho's hand tightens. 

Jongho pulls the taller boy into his arms. "Are you hurt? Is something wrong?" 

"I can sense them," Seonghwa says sadly. "I can sense their pain." 

Jongho strokes the silky dark hair gently. "It'll be all right. We'll get them out, I promise." 

Seonghwa stands a little straighter and nods. Jongho smiles slightly and continues creeping forward. 

Then he sees the first human, a burly man with a metal helmet stalking around between the cages. He's checking the locks to make sure the dragons can't escape. Jongho hears Seonghwa snarl, and feels like doing the same. 

"Are you ready?" He whispers. 

As an answer, Seonghwa lets go of his hand and silently morphs into his other form. Jongho can barely resist a grin. Mars still amazes him. 

Jongho slips onto Mars' back and narrows his eyes. "Now." 

The deck lights up purple. 

Dongju and Dongmyeong swing down from atop the cages, laughing maniacally as their two-headed dragon blows up half the deck. Jongho rolls his eyes. The two idiots had named the dragon Xion and Onxi, because they were idiots. It was a unique dragon for two very unique people.

With a cheer, Mingi slides in, surrounded by flames. Behind him, his dragon Ravn looks like a demon from the deepest pits of hell, his entire body aflame, eyes glinting with maniacal rage. Mingi sticks out his chest and whoops "You losers wish you were as cool as me!" 

Ravn snorts. A flame is licking steadily at the seat of Mingi's pants. 

Jongho grins, but doesn't let his attention off the cages. The man is frozen, paralyzed by fear. Jongho and Mars creep closer. 

Yunho knocks a guard over the head and smiles shakily. He's not one for violence, despite his impressive height and broad shoulders. Under one arm he's tucked Hwanwoong, his baby dragon. 

"You brought the baby into battle?" Mingi yelps. 

"No one was willing to babysit!" Yunho protests. 

Jongho slides off of Mars and approaches the helmet man. "Give me the key to the cages." 

"Demon!" The man hisses. 

Mars' eyes flicker purple. The man shudders. 

Jongho glares. He pulls out his sword and it lights up with flames. "I said give me the-" 

"Yeah, blah blah blah." The hilt of a sword knocks the guard over the head and he crumples. By the light of the flames Jongho sees a beautiful face framed by soft golden hair, lips curled into a taunting smile. 

"Next time speed it up if you don't want your moment stolen," Yeosang says. 

Jongho grumbles. "I had him right where I wanted him." 

"And now he's right where I wanted him. Go suck it, chief. This attack was supposed to be... stealthy?" 

Jongho surveys the flames and his crew yelling and hollering. "Um, it started that way." 

Yeosang snorts. "Hey, Mars, you look disappointed. You wanted to roast him, huh?" 

The Night Fury sticks his tongue out. Yeosang returns the gesture. 

"Okay, we came to free dragons," the golden-haired boy says. "So let's free dragons."


	3. where

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

[PAST] 

Mars has always been one hell of a dragon. 

But Jongho isn't sure even this hell of a dragon can get him out of the mess he's gotten into now. 

To sum up his situation, he's on an island covered in ice, surrounded by killers, facing the villainous trapper Eric Bloodfist, a man so deadly he even frightens Eden. Jongho's older brother stands by him, staring in horror at the scene. Until a few hours ago, Jongho believed San was dead, and it's still unbelievable to see him standing here alive and well. 

Eden stands at Jongho's other side, eyes narrowed. Beside him is Maddox, weapon in hand. Wooyoung, son of Wooyoung, an ex-trapper picked up along the way, takes his stance beside San. Jongho sits atop Mars, teeth clenched. 

"So," Bloodfist drawls. "You made it this far. I'm impressed." He doesn't look impressed. "You've lost already and you know you have. Give it up, Choi Jongho. Give it up." 

"Never." 

In the background, giant silhouettes against a darkening sky, San's beloved Bewilderbeast is fighting to the death with their enemy's. 

"Eric," Eden says in a low voice. 

"Don't you 'Eric' me, traitor! I will never listen to you." 

"Then," Eden sighs, "if the approach of using simple words does not appeal to you, I suppose there is really only one option." 

He lunges. 

Jongho grabs Mars and runs. Blasting apart traps, freeing dragons and riders, taking down trappers. Eden can handle a fight. Jongho knows it.

But when he looks back over, Eden is gone. Maddox, Wooyoung and San are gone as well, and Jongho sees the dark form of Eric Bloodfist moving steadily across the snow towards him. 

He twirls his staff and the Bewilderbeast roars, rising up out of the dark water. To his horror, Jongho realizes San's dragon is dead, cut through the heart by one of its own. Eric's massive weapon looks directly at them, but he isn't aiming for Eric or Jongho. 

"Mars," Jongho whispers. 

He remembers too late that the Bewilderbeast controls all dragons through its mind. 

But the Night Fury fights. He twists and jerks, hitting himself and clawing at his own skin, trying with everything he has to keep the alpha dragon from getting into his mind. Jongho can do nothing but stand and watch. 

"Mars," he begs. "You can do this, I believe in you. Don't listen to him, don't let him take you-" 

Eric laughs softly and says nothing. 

Mars lets out a shriek. 

"Seonghwa," Jongho cries, not caring that he's used the human name for his dragon, just hoping with all his heart that the Bewilderbeast fails to control Mars. 

Mars goes still. His head drops, and he rises to his feet, eyelids slowly opening. His pupils are slits. 

"Go for him," Eric says, and he points at Jongho. "Kill him." 

Jongho stammers and begs, but Mars doesn't stop, moving slowly and steadily towards him, purple fire rising up from his throat. Jongho is backed against a wall of ice now. There's no escape. He closes his eyes. The blast is deathly loud in his ears. 

But the fire never reaches him. 

He hears a scream.

Jongho stares in horror at Eden, crumpled on the ground. San rushes to check, but his pulse is gone. 

"No," he whispers. 

Jongho sees Mars inching closer, eyes wide with innocence and fear, pupils back to normal. In his anger and heartbreak, he doesn't even care. 

"Stay away from him!" He screams. There are tears running down his cheeks. "You monster, stay away!" 

Mars' image flickers. Then, hair messed and eyes red with tears, Seonghwa turns and runs away from the scene. 

"It wasn't his fault," San says softly. "You know that." 

"I shouldn't have yelled," Jongho sobs. "I shouldn't have..." 

He's lost sight of Seonghwa now. 

...

[PRESENT] 

Seonghwa is curled up in a ball with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around him, only his head sticking out, cheeks stuffed with the candies San made last night. His eyes are wide and bright, reflecting the firelight. Jongho smiles affectionately. 

"You got the cutest dragon for sure," Yeosang says in his ear. "Hey, Seonghwa. Tired?" 

In a small voice, Seonghwa says sleepily, "Yeah." 

Yeosang smiles at him, then turns his attention back to Jongho. "Okay, so you realize what we're getting into, right? Maddox has been telling us for ages. He always says that one day we'll meet an enemy we can't beat, and he's right. Don't you think we might need.... another place for the dragons, maybe...?" 

"They're safe here." Jongho shrugs. "We have everything they need. Maddox is just paranoid." He smiles. "Don't worry." 

Yeosang frowns, but he's silent. 

"If any enemy tries to hurt you," Seonghwa speaks up, his hands balling into fists, "I will rip them up." 

He looks far too adorable for such vicious words, but Jongho knows he's absolutely capable of ripping entire armies up, and lighting what's left on fire. 

"I know you will, Hwa. I trust you." 

He does trust Seonghwa. 

With his life, his friends' lives, his family's lives. Jongho will always trust Seonghwa. 

The dragon boy closes his eyes again, content.


	4. how

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jongho doesn't know what he's getting them into.

[PAST] 

Jongho is five when he first hears of the Hidden World.   
Eden speaks of it. He takes Jongho to the top of a hill and shows him Utopia, telling him it's the home of the people. The Hidden World, he says, is the home of the dragons. To achieve peace, the two worlds must live apart. That is his only goal. 

Baby Jongho is fascinated. Dragons are strange creatures, dark and shrouded in mystery; he's only seen them once, but he can hear the attacks. He has, however, studied many pictures of them. Jongho thinks he likes dragons.

Or he would like them, if they hadn't killed his brother before Jongho ever got to meet him. 

[PRESENT] 

Yeosang has gone to bed. Mars is huddled under his blanket on the floor, his steady breathing telling Jongho that he's asleep. San, Wooyoung, Mingi, and Yunho are resting as well, as are the twins. Jongho suspects he's the only person awake on Utopia right now. 

He spreads his maps, examining them. Muttering under his breath, he traces the route the dragon trappers were on, attempting to find its source and destination. He ends up so confused that he has to start over. 

"Choi Jongho." 

He looks up, startled. It's an unfamiliar voice. 

A tall, thin man stands by the door, looking dreadfully smug. "May I help myself to a drink?" 

Without waiting for an answer, he fills his glass. 

"I see you're looking for the trappers' destination," he says smoothly. "Well, their goal was to bring the dragons to me. You, my boy, caused their failure. But they were fools, far too stupid to anticipate such an attack. I am not so naive." 

He steps closer, heels clicking against the floor. "It comes to my attention that you do not know me." 

"Wooyoung has mentioned you," Jongho says darkly. He begins to rise to his feet. "He said you were the greatest trapper in history, and that even Eric Bloodfist was nothing next to you. Well, I defeated him, and I think I can defeat you too. No, I don't just think it; I know it." His lip curls. "Greetings, Lee Keonhee." 

He had rather expected to rattle Keonhee, but is disappointed when the man only chuckles. "You're brave, I see. Or an idiot. Perhaps a bit of both." He finishes his drink and casts the glass away. "But you cannot stop me. I am the killer of Night Furies. I alone hunted the beasts into extinction. All," his eyes narrow, "but yours." 

Seonghwa. 

"You can do whatever the hell you want," Jongho snarls, "but you won't lay a hand on my dragon." 

Keonhee chuckles. "I don't need to." 

Quicker than Jongho can react, he whips a small pipe out of his mouth and raises it to his lips, blowing air into the end. A dart shoots across the room and into Mars' neck. 

Jongho looks up, but it isn't rage sparking in his eyes. It's amusement. "You really are tricky, aren't you. Well, so am I." 

"Mmblrrrggg," groans "Mars", rising groaning to his feet, the dragon disguise slipping off. Yunho raises a shaky finger and slurs, "Pickles are falling from the-" before he can finish this odd sentence, he collapses. 

Keonhee hisses. "That was clever, I admit. But I told you already. You cannot stop me." 

The roof bursts into flames. 

"Burn, Choi Jongho," Keonhee says quietly. "I hope your drugged giant friend is all right." 

With a smirk, he vanishes, gone through the doorway and out into the night. 

Jongho feels like he's suffocating. The air is full of smoke, flames licking all around him and Yunho, who seems paralyzed, eyes rolled back in his head. 

"Seonghwa!" Jongho calls desperately. 

In his hiding spot under the table, the dragon boy's eyes fly open. His irises glow purple, a curse escaping his lips, and he leaps to his feet, morphing quickly into his dragon form. 

Jongho flings Yunho across Mars' back before climbing on himself. The dragon extends his wings and launches upward, bursting through the roof in a shower of sparks. 

The fresh air fills Jongho's lungs. He looks down and sees a ship gliding silently across the water, away from Utopia. 

He can almost hear Keonhee's laughter.


	5. why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jongho begins his journey.

The Great Hall is overcrowded. 

Every citizen on the island of Utopia is crammed into the building, some muttering under their breath, some outright yelling. Jongho stands watching it all, Seonghwa at his side. The dragon boy is dressed in tight black leather combat clothes, complete with fingerless gloves. He looks unusually threatening. 

"Silence," Jongho says stiffly, and a hush falls. 

"As you can all clearly see," he sighs, "we were attacked. The island of Utopia is no longer a safe place. It is time to move." 

The crows bursts into noise again. Jongho holds up a hand. 

"I know exactly where." 

Quiet falls again. 

"When I was very young, Chief Eden described to me a Hidden World, home of the dragons. I was fascinated, and after all these years the magic still exists for me. I know it's out there, at the very edge of the world. If we fly far enough, we can find it." 

He hears scornful laughter. "Boy," a man's voice calls. "Sometimes I forget you're only a child. Young and foolish, full of ridiculous dreams. You know nothing-" 

"Hush!" 

Every head in the building turns in unison. Seonghwa has never spoken in front of the people of Utopia before, not even so much as one word. 

"He lost his leg to a dragon as a child," Seonghwa says. His voice is low and gentle, but his eyes are blazing. "He defeated Eric Bloodfist and his Bewilderbeast and drove the dragon back to the sea, never to return. He even shot me down, while the rest of you ran in fear. He is your chief and you had better respect him." He closes his mouth firmly, a clear signal that he's said his piece and will under no circumstances open his mouth again before the multitudes tonight. 

The speaker bows his head in shame. "I apologize. You are very right." 

Seonghwa bounces a little ball of purple flame back and forth over his fingertips, plainly uninterested. 

"It's no matter," Jongho says casually. "Now back to my idea, the Hidden World. All in favor?" 

Seonghwa's miniature fireball dissolves. He pouts for a brief second before mumbling so that only Jongho can hear, "I like your plan." 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome." 

A few cautious hands go up. Yeosang, San, Wooyoung, Mingi, Yunho. Seonghwa looks around and raises his hand as well. Maddox scowls and makes no move. 

"Boo," Dongju calls. "Your ideas are always trash. Shitty leadership. Terrible chief. You should get fired-" 

Jongho rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah yeah. Anyways, I hope you know," he claps his hands brightly, "that was a trick question! I'm your chief and I make the rules, so it doesn't even matter. To the Hidden World we go!" 

...

"Seonghwa?" 

Jongho pokes his head up into the attic. "Hwa?" He frowns. It's unlike Seonghwa to just vanish like that. He ventures outside, poking through the underbrush. "Hey, Seonghwa?" He coughs. "Mars?"

He hears rustling. Cautiously, he follows the noise. 

"Yeosang?" 

"Jongho? What are you doing?" 

"I'm looking for Seonghwa, I can't find him anywhere." 

Yeosang sighs. "Okay. I'll help you look." 

A few moments later, Jongho and Yeosang stumble out into a moonlit clearing, deep in the woods. Jongho gazes around in awe at the grass and flowers illuminated by pale light, and then he sees him. 

Mars. 

But he isn't alone. 

Another dragon is facing him, a dragon as white as the light from the moon and stars overhead. A dragon with fierce eyes and sharp teeth. A dragon not very big in size, but intimidating regardless.

A dragon that looks exactly like the pale version of Mars himself. 

He's found another Night Fury.


	6. who

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :D

Within a second, the magic is gone. 

The white dragon makes eye contact with Yeosang and snarls, turning and leaping from the ground and off into the sky. There's a flash of purple and Seonghwa is standing in the clearing again, alone. Yeosang and Jongho duck behind a bush as the dragon boy turns around, but they aren't fast enough. 

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Seonghwa exclaims. 

Jongho's ears turn red. Yeosang raises his eyebrows. 

"Well, he's certainly happy," he murmers. Jongho scowls. 

Awkwardly, the two rise to their feet. Seonghwa stomps over to them, arms crossed. 

"We weren't spying!" Jongho says quickly. "I woke up and you weren't there, and I was worried, so I went looking for you, and I stumbled into this clearing to see that you've found yourself a-" his voice wobbles, lips quirking upward, "mate-" 

Seonghwa turns a lovely shade of pink. "Shut up." 

"You're finally maturing, falling in love..." 

"Shut up." 

Yeosang wipes away a fake tear. "They grow up so fast-" 

"Shut up." 

Jongho can't hold back his grin. "You might even get married-" 

Seonghwa turns even darker pink. "S-shut up." 

"And have baby dragons!" Yeosang exclaims. Jongho shrieks with laughter. 

Seonghwa ducks his head. "Shut up-" 

Jongho strokes his dark hair. "We're only teasing. I'm sorry." 

Seonghwa shuffles his feet. "Um." 

Jongho raises an eyebrow. 

"How much did you see?" Seonghwa asks hesitantly, his ears turning reddish again. 

"Oh, I see how it is," Jongho says suggestively. Yeosang makes disgusting kissing noises. 

Seonghwa trips over a root and stops walking. "You're as bad as the twins!" 

"Gods forbid," Jongho shudders. He gives Seonghwa a hug. "We only saw, like, two seconds. Just you two staring.... dreamily.... into.... each other's.... eyes...." 

Yeosang falls into a fit of giggles, shoulders shaking as he tries to keep from screaming with laughter. Jongho pinches Seonghwa's cheek, and they resume their slow walk back up to the great hall. 

...

When morning comes, crisp and chilly, Jongho wakes up to find Yeosang cuddled against him. 

He blushes instantly, sitting up with caution so as not to wake the other. He stands up and looks out the window. The sky is painted with streaks of red and gold, pale, fluffy clouds drifting overhead. It feels like the beginning of a life-changing day. 

Seonghwa steps up next to him at the window, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "So, I saw you and Yeosang cuddling." 

"Shit," Jongho says under his breath. Seonghwa looks smug.

"Now who's falling in love, going to get married, and all those lovely things?" Seonghwa leans on the windowsill and looks around outside. "Love is in the air whenever you two are in a room together." 

"Oh my gods," Jongho groans. "You're turning into a poet." 

"Poetry is for humans," Seonghwa says cheerfully. He leaves the window and opens the door, looking around outside. 

"Looking for your mate?" Jongho teases. 

"For the love of-" Seonghwa rolls his eyes to the heavens. "Do you want to ride me- oh my gods that came out wrong. Fly. Holy shit. Do you want to fly- I should shut up now, shouldn't I." 

Jongho grins. "Yes, you should." 

Seonghwa morphs casually into dragon form. Jongho slips onto Mars' back and they take off into the sky. 

Jongho doesn't see the pair of soft brown eyes watching from the building they just left behind, sparkling with affection as they follow his every move.


	7. what

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> moving forward

When Jongho and Mars arrive back from scouting, the villagers are awake. 

Dongju stomps up to the pair, towing a grumbling Dongmyeong. "This island," he says dramatically. "is amazing. You really want to find some dumb hidden world that might not even exist when we could have this?" He waves his arms dramatically. "Your plan sucks, as expected." 

"Thank you for the feedback," Jongho says tiredly. 

"Can we stay here instead of looking for your alternate universe or whatever?" Dongmyeong whines. 

"No." Jongho beckons Mars and they continue up to the house. "You take a nap or something, I have to work." He says it gently, but Mars looks hurt. 

Suddenly his eyes brighten and with a nod, he disappears into the woods. 

"That's not- hey!" Jongho feels a hand on his shoulder. 

"Let him go," Yeosang says quietly. "He needs a break." 

"He just ran off!" Jongho tries to jerk away, but Yeosang refuses to let go. "Where's he going? What if he gets hurt? Why-" 

"He's in love, Jongho," Yeosang says flatly. "You can't just hover over his shoulder all the time. Give him freedom. And he won't get hurt. Have you seen Seonghwa in a fight? He'll be fine." He pats Jongho's shoulder. "Don't worry." 

"I can't help worrying," Jongho murmers. 

"You said you had work." Yeosang raises an eyebrow. "What about that?" 

"I'm going to make him something." Jongho stares at the ground. "Something to fix his tail. So he can... so he can fly by himself." 

Yeosang's eyes widen. "Oh." 

"Mm," Jongho murmers. 

He pauses. "I know I'm too protective of him. I know I need to relax. But I've hurt him so many times, Yeosang. In the battle where I lost my leg, he almost died. Fighting the Bewilderbeast's control, he almost died again. Hell, the first time we met, I shot him!" His eyes sting, and he turns away, blinking furiously. He won't let Yeosang see him cry. 

"But he didn't die," Yeosang says. "He's all right. You were as close to dying as he was, if not closer, but would you ever blame him for that?" 

Jongho's jaw drops. "Wha- never!" 

"Then why are you blaming yourself?" Yeosang inquires. 

"I shot him," Jongho repeats. "I almost killed him." 

Yeosang's lips quirk. "That's giving yourself a lot of credit. With the combination of your guilt and the punch in the face he gave you, you were closer to death than he was." 

Jongho scowls. "I'm just scared he'll get hurt and it'll be my fault again." 

Yeosang sighs. He extends a hand invitingly. "Let's go get your work done. You clearly need something to focus on." 

...

Seonghwa peeks out from behind the tree cautiously, eyes round, heart pounding in his chest. There he is again, his fluffy white hair looking devastatingly soft, tiny hands clasped, pacing the clearing and murmering to himself. Seonghwa feels a smile creep across his face. He steps out from behind his tree. 

"Hongjoong." 

He turns and looks at Seonghwa, eyes big and inquiring. Seonghwa feels like his heart might burst. 

"Seonghwa." 

Hongjoong takes a step closer. "You came back." 

"Of course I did," Seonghwa answers gently. 

"Were you followed?" Hongjoong scowls suspiciously. 

"I don't think so." Seonghwa glances over his shoulder. "I had Jongho's permission to leave this time." 

"Why do you need his permission?" Hongjoong says sharply. "Are you his pet? His possession?" 

"He is my chief," Seonghwa says coolly. 

"Does your beloved chief require that his human companions obtain his permission before going anywhere?" 

Seonghwa opens his mouth, then closes it again. "I don't know." 

"As expected," Hongjoong sniffs. "Humans. They always think we're below them. Pets. Belongings to use and then throw away. They don't care about us at all." He glares at the ground like it's one of said humans. 

"Jongho isn't like that!" Seonghwa says defensively. "He's... overprotective, but he isn't like that at all." He takes a step closer. "Let's not talk about this, please? I missed you." 

Hongjoong's face softens. "Don't flirt with me," he snaps, but there's no spark to it. He looks like he's holding back a smile. 

"You mean you didn't miss me?" 

"Of course I didn't." Hongjoong crosses his arms. "I'm angry at you." 

"Hm." 

"Very mad at you," Hongjoong continues, stepping closer and closer until he's near enough to touch. 

"Oh, are you." Seonghwa bites back a smile. 

"I don't like you," Hongjoong says. He rests his forehead against Seonghwa's. 

"Sad." 

"You're annoying." 

Hongjoong's lips meet his and the world fades away. Seonghwa is floating, his mind blank, and nothing matters anymore except Hongjoong in his arms, Hongjoong who pretends to be rude and cool to disguise his affection, Hongjoong with his icy white hair and his small, soft hands and his gentle kisses that contradict his harsh words. He tastes like adventure and happiness, and Seonghwa can't get over it and never will. 

"Don't think this means I'm going to get soft for you," Hongjoong murmers. 

"No, of course not." 

"It's just my way of expressing my dislike for you." 

"Sure." 

"Kiss me again already, you big idiot, I don't have all day." 

Seonghwa doesn't answer in words, but Hongjoong is satisfied. 

....

When Seonghwa arrives back at the temporary village, one look at him tells Jongho exactly what he's been up to. 

He swallows, turning away to look at Yeosang, who's smiling fondly. He remembers his gift for Seonghwa and winces. He wants to be happy for him, but he knows in his heart that this puts him one step closer to losing his dearest friend. 

Seonghwa looks at him with round eyes, worry written across his face. Jongho's an expert at reading him, otherwise all he'd see is the "I just made out with my new partner in the woods" also written, larger and clearer, on his features; visible in the swollen lips, messy hair, and flushed cheeks, all of which he chooses to ignore. He forces away the mental picture of Yeosang in that same state. What the hell is wrong with him? 

"Hi," he croaks. 

"Hi," Seonghwa answers. He sounds distracted. "Hey, are you okay? Are you sick? Do you need to rest? Is-" 

"I have something," Jongho interrupts. "For- for you." 

"For me?" 

"Yeah." Jongho clears his throat. "Um. You never wanted it before, because you never had a reason to, but..." He shrugs. "I figured since you met your... Light Fury or whatever... it might help to be able to, uh, fly on your own." 

He both hates and loves how Seonghwa's face lights up with a mix of shock and ecstasy, his dark eyes sparkling. "Did you really-" 

"Yeah," Jongho manages. He gestures to Yeosang. "Sangie- Yeosang and I made it earlier. It's designed to- hey, are you okay?" 

Seonghwa wipes his eyes and nods. "Better than okay. Thank you so much." He smiles, a real smile, one of the ones that makes his face look like it might split. His teeth are blindingly white. "I didn't want to ask... I should have known I didn't have to." He gives Jongho a hug, then moves quickly to give one to Yeosang as well. Jongho feels a strange surge of jealousy, which he immediately pushes down. Seonghwa already has someone. He isn't going to take Yeosang. 

"Do you want to try it out?" Yeosang asks. 

"Please," Seonghwa says, and he holds out his hands. Yeosang places the missing piece in them, the piece of Mars' tail that he lost years ago. When Jongho shot him. He clenches his fists at the memory. 

Yeosang shakes his head at him, frowning. Jongho exhales. He wonders why his heart is beating so fast watching the boy... how annoying. Maybe he has a health condition. 

Or maybe he's just in denial of the obvious. 

"Seonghwa," Yeosang says softly. "Before you go, I have a question." 

Jongho hates that phrasing. Before you go. Yeosang speaks like it's the last time they'll ever see Seonghwa. 

"Yes?" Seonghwa pauses, looking back to make eye contact with Yeosang. 

"What's their name?" 

Seonghwa blushes slightly. "W-" he clears his throat. "Who?" 

"You know who," Yeosang teases, wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Stop teasing me!" Seonghwa protests. He smiles at them both. "See you. Thank you both so much." He starts his walk up the hill. The other two follow slowly, a few paces behind. 

"Will he come back?" Jongho asks quietly. 

"That's his choice," Yeosang responds. "But I think he will." 

He smiles, and gods, he's beautiful. What is going on? Lately, Yeosang has been occupying Jongho's thoughts more and more, and he can't figure it out. He blinks rapidly and inhales the cool air. Maybe his mind will clear after he's been outside more. 

"Hongjoong." 

They both look up. Seonghwa is facing away from them, watching the sea stretching before him. 

"His name is Hongjoong." 

In a second, he transforms into his dragon form. In silence, Yeosang attaches the newly crafted tail piece, and together he and Jongho watch as Mars glides farther and farther away before disappearing over the horizon. 

"Goodbye," Jongho whispers softly.


	8. if

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .

Jongho doesn't cry. 

He and Yeosang slowly make their way back to the camp. Jongho doesn't cry. He hides his face from the other man, but he knows Yeosang understands without even having to see that Jongho is hurt, even if he pretends not to be. 

"Glory hallelujah," Dongju drawls. "The chief is alive." 

"Shut up," Jongho mumbles. 

"Glory hallelujah!" Dongmyeong gasps. "The chief is mean!" 

Jongho pushes past the twins and gets into bed. He had planned to scout some more, but with Seonghwa gone, he has no way of doing that. 

"He'll come back, you know," Yeosang says softly. 

Jongho sighs. "I know." 

Yeosang bites his lip and asks quietly, "Do you love him? I mean, of course you do. But... like that. You know. Are you in love with him?" 

"No!" Jongho's eyes go wide. "No, I'm not! He's my best friend, I love him, but not- not like...." 

Yeosang looks away. "Is there anyone you do, maybe, have... feelings for?" 

Jongho shifts and looks past him, at the wall. His voice comes out hoarse as he answers "Maybe." 

...

Just past two in the morning, Seonghwa returns. 

Jongho doesn't see him, but he senses warmth against him. He smiles slightly, too tired to think, and lets his dragon hug him until they've both fallen back asleep. 

When he wakes up in the morning, Seonghwa is outside with Yeosang, playing games. Jongho stretches and steps out into the sunlight. 

"Glory hallelujah," Dongju announces. "The chief is awake." 

Jongho rolls his eyes, stepping up to his makeshift desk and sorting through his papers. 

The memory of Lee Keonhee flits around his mind again. Something about him seems very fake, like his whole tough, dark personality is a flat lie. 

He wouldn't be surprised. 

"Worried?" Yeosang asks. 

Jongho looks up. He scans the horizon and shakea his head slowly. 

"No," he says, quietly. Then, raising his voice, he calls out to the whole camp. "Everyone, get ready! We leave in four hours."

He turns back to his friends and smiles. 

"Glory hallelujah," Dongmyeong sighs, and the chief only laughs.


End file.
